In the summer of 1969, a young Gary Sipes, then about 11 or 12, joined a procession in his Aurora neighborhood. He had nothing better to do on that warm day. People from St. Olaf Church were walking from their building on Benton Street in Aurora to their new church site on Douglas Avenue in Montgomery. At that time, this location was surrounded by cornfields.
Last Wednesday morning, Sipes returned to the same property. This time, the occasion was the groundbreaking of a new Youth Center for Wayside Cross Ministries. The center will be built on four acres purchased from the church. Sipes attended as a neighbor, a crucial role since neighborhood concerns had been a major hurdle for Wayside when they proposed the project to Montgomery last year.
“If we do what we are supposed to do,” Sipes said, “we are here to help these kids.”
Approximately 125 supporters gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony. Among the speakers was Montgomery Village President Matt Brolley, who had listened to neighborhood concerns but supported the project after touring Wayside Cross’s main campus in downtown Aurora. The visit made him understand “the breadth of everything” they do.
Brolley noted the need for such a facility extends beyond municipal boundaries and praised the choice of location, between the church, Fox Valley Park District fields, and Krug Elementary School, as “the perfect land use.” “I am very excited,” he shared, “to be just a little part of this.”
Vicki Morkos, president and CEO of the Dunham Foundation, also spoke at the event. The foundation has had a long-standing relationship with Wayside Cross, tracing back to its founding board member, Thomas Dunham, in 1928. His work was continued by his son, John C. Dunham, who aimed to make the world safer and more comfortable. This mission aligns with Wayside’s goals, which is why the foundation has supported various initiatives, including the ministry’s adult facility and Lifespring Center for women and children. They eagerly backed this new project, seeing it as “an opportunity to support another high-quality initiative,” according to Morkos.
Wayside Cross has used St. Olaf for its after-school and summer programs for kids from Aurora and Montgomery for about 15 years. The vision of owning a dedicated building gathered momentum when Wayside Executive Director James Lukose noticed a large open space next to the church while driving by a couple of years ago.
Sequoia General Contracting will complete the approximately 10,000-square-foot youth center by next summer. The facility will include classrooms, a multi-purpose room, a gymnasium, and a kitchen, with plans to add sports fields later. It will offer tutoring, educational opportunities, youth leadership, and recreational activities. St. Olaf interim Pastor Dan Haas emphasized that this aligns with the church’s mission and spirit, founded by Norwegian immigrants who sought religious freedom and aimed to “use their talents and abilities for the glory of God.”
Sequoia President David Blasi encouraged the audience as he declared, “Today we start to make the vision a reality. Let’s pick up our hard hats and shovels and get to work.”
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